Great short stories

A fabulous set of short stories narrated by the author (his narration is now spot on after a previous offerings being so fast I had to alter the speed) he has really found his voice.
The stories are proper “out the box” love them

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Great stories and terrific narration!

something different and unique. fascinating that the author narrated his own book. Very refreshing.

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Luke Smithered

I do love Luke Smithered his books are so intriguing what a mind for something different he has. The only thing I struggled with was realising when he was onto the next story. If you ha e not listened to one of his books you are missing out on a unique listen

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1 person found this helpful

A step into the twilight zone

personal favourite....keep you children close....but all were brilliant....a roller coaster ride with Luke Smithered..you will not be disappointed

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1 person found this helpful

Brilliant and disturbing

Brilliant - I loved these stories. Each individually crafted into a perfect little nugget of story.

The Jesus Loophole disturbed me so much that I couldn't carry on with it for several months which was frustrating - but down to the writing being so good that I was properly terrified of what was coming next! And I suspect I have a slightly nervous disposition...!

But utterly brilliant - I really can't get enough of Luke Smitherd's writing. And I cannot recommend highly enough.

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3 people found this helpful

brilliant, refreshing and dark

just can't get enough of this chap, binge listening all his work right now and they just keep getting better and better

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2 people found this helpful

Little Nuggets of Smitherd-fuelled Craziness!

I don't usually go for short story collections. It has always felt like I'm getting the left overs that the author(s) didn't feel were worth making into a full meal. This is of course unfair as telling short stories is an art form in itself. However having listened to the likes of "The Stone Man" and "The Physics of the Dead" I've come to recognise that Smitherd is a very interesting author and decided to give this one a go.

I am glad that I did. These are very enjoyable little insights into Luke's writing approach. They contain some of what are becoming Smitherd motifs like the mysterious stranger who knows more than the lead character and of course the little carrots of dread such as the announcement that someone will finish up dead at the very start of "Keep Your Children Close". In fact the visit to the house by strangers in "Closure" almost feels like a dry run for a similar visit in "Kill Someone". The absolute highlight for me was actually "He Waits". A real chiller and mind-bending concept that grows in menace the more that you think about it.

As a genuine bonus there are some excellent brief thoughts from the author at the end. To someone who has never been through it the writing process can be fascinating so getting some insight into it from an author like Smitherd is a real boon to me. There is also an excerpt from one of Luke's other short story collections "Weird Dark".

I'm rating this as five stars based very much in the context that it's one of the very best of the relatively small number of short story collections that I've read myself. Personally I'd always recommend one of his full-length novels like "The Stone Man" or "Physics of the Dead" as a starting point with Smitherd books but as a collection these stories give a good indication of his style. Each of them contains interesting ideas but also manages to squeeze in enough character development to make the people interesting. Smitherd has a great way of painting ordinary people into extraordinary situations.

In short, a thoroughly good read.

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10 people found this helpful

My new favourite author

Luke has a strange and dark imagination and I'm patiently waiting for his next offering. Hopefully I won't be waiting to long.

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2 people found this helpful

Amazing!

Each of the stories is surprisingly detailed, with in depth characters. I often find that short stories are too short to make much leeway and leave me disappointed. Not in this case. The stories are complex, well written and and finish at just the right time. They are hard hitting and leave you thinking about the characters for hours after. I loved them! My favourite was probably "He waits"........utterly chilling and really stays with you. You find yourself really wondering what happened to the character and thinking about your own inner thoughts and fears. Do not hesitate with this one! You won't regret it!

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I need more!

Please publish and read some more of your work, I am nearly out of everything you have written!
And if you can continue being the narrator for all you publish, I would also be grateful 😂
I have loved every single one of your books and this is no exception. Please please share more of your work

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